We woke up on our last day in Ireland and got ready for the day ahead. Our first stop was the Kilkenny Design Centre for some final shopping. It was basically a giant gift shop housed in what used to be the stables of Kilkenny castle.
Out behind the Centre is the Butler Townhouse and Gardens. Zach and I had a private stroll through the quiet garden.
A sculpture or a chair?
In the center of the garden was a fountain with lily pads.
H is for Heckman.
The garden.
As we were walking through we noticed a black cat. I moved so it wouldn't cross my path. Then, it climbed high into a tree.
From the gardens we walked to Kilkenny Castle. Built in 1195, it's an symbol of the Norman era in Ireland.
The castle had a beautiful rose garden with fountains. the roses were in perfect bloom.
In the afternoon we went on a walking tour of Kilkenny. We went to the designated meeting spot and as it turned out we were the only ones waiting, so we had a private walking tour of the city. It also turned out our tour guide is a local public school history teacher, so how cool is that.
We met our tour guide at the Kilkenny Tourist Office housed in the Shee Alms House. It was build in the sixteenth century by wealthy merchants to house the poor.
Then, we passed St. Mary's Church built in the late twelfth century.
The graveyard at St. Mary's Church is home to the wealthy medieval merchants, such as The Shee's and The Rothe's (see below).
One final gate:
The Butter Slip is a medieval side street or short cut that connects one street to another. One website claims this is where butter was sold centuries ago. Note my talent as a photographer, because there are no people in these pictures and Kilkenny was very crowded on this day.
After we walked through the slip we went back to Kyteler's Inn. We felt pretty silly because the night before we hadn't gone to the basement, which is the historical part of the bar that dates back to the fourteenth century.
The pillars are made of Kilkenny marble.
Next stop the Smithwick's brewery. Unfortunately, the brewery closed shortly after we left and moved to the Guinness brewery in Dublin. Zach was disappointed we didn't get to go on the tour, because he was drinking the Smithwick's Pale Ale all trip. He has since found it in cans in Chicago.
Next stop on the walking tour, Rothe House. This is a 17th century merchant's home and one of the best preserved post-medieval structures in Ireland.
We continued down High Street and I saw an opportunity to capture one of my favorite Irish scenes - a row of brightly colored pubs. Once again please note the lack of people in this picture and be amazed by my photography skills. It doesn't get more Irish than this.
During the medieval period Kilkenny was a walled city. It was remarkable to see the original medieval walls as we walked through an alley. If this was in the United States they would've roped off the wall and charged $10 just to see it. In Ireland you can reach out and run your fingers along the history.
As we walked down the alley we had a beautiful view of St. Canice's Cathedral and its round tower.
We also could also see the tower of St. Mary's Cathedral.
Finally, we arrived at the Black Abbey. The Dominican order was established here in the thirteenth century. Little remains from the original church.
The Black Abbey's stained glass is truly stunning and while we were inside the light was hitting them just right. The Rosary Window pictured below is the largest in Ireland.
The slab graves behind the church are from the thirteenth century and were discovered during the restoration of the church in the 1800s. Very eerie.
We'd reached the end of our walking tour and said goodbye to our fantastic tour guide. It was on to enjoy some lunch in Kilkenny.
We walked into Lanigan's Bar and sat down to watch the Hurling Championships.
As we were watching the game we struck up a conversation with the waiter. He was telling us all about the game and the traditions of Hurling in Ireland. We learned that the athletes don't get paid and he said one guy on the Kilkenny team works at the bank across the street.
We'd had good conversations with other locals, but this was the type of conversation we'd heard about and hoped we would have had throughout the trip. Unfortunately, he was getting the stink eye from his boss and couldn't talk to us for too long.
I didn't want to leave the bar. We were having such a great time and I could feel the time ticking down on our amazing adventure.
We returned to the hotel and solemnly packed our suitcases. We talked about how we started to feel at home in Ireland. Zach even said he was worried about driving on the right side of the street.
Our final dinner was at our hotel and was included in the stay. It was really special because it is one of the top rated restaurants in Kilkenny and it's difficult to score a reservation there.
As we sipped our Pinot Grigio and enjoyed our three course meal we reflected on the trip. Our days in Dublin, filling each and every minute with a new experience. The drive across the country to Galway in our tiny Nissan Micra. Our hike through Connemara National Park, when I first learned that Zach lives for beautiful views. Experiencing the Aran Islands on a tumultuous boat trip, followed by the unforgettable majesty of the Cliffs of Moher. A quick stop in Limerick, including two medieval castles. Visiting my namesake, County Kerry, from the capital city of Tralee, to the Dingle Peninsula, to Killarney. Driving the Ring of Kerry one day and riding in a jaunting car through Killarney National Park the next. Two days spent back in time medieval Kilkenny, where we finally learned the gift of gab. So much packed into eleven truly magical days.
It had come and gone so quickly, yet seemed like a lifetime since we'd been at the Dublin Airport getting off a plane not knowing what to expect. As we boarded the plane for home we were already planning our next trip back.
"Ireland...is like no other place under heaven..." - George Bernard Shaw
